What Actually Happens During a Real Estate Walkthrough
A walkthrough is the final inspection you do before closing on a home. It usually happens within 24 hours of the closing date. You're walking through the property one more time to confirm everything the seller agreed to fix actually got fixed, and that nothing new broke while they were moving out. Most people treat this like a formality. That's a mistake. I've seen deals fall apart because someone skipped the HVAC filter check or didn't test the garage door opener. The paperwork says "conveyed in broom-clean condition." That phrase means almost nothing until you actually verify it.
Study Guide For Real Estate Walkthrough
Here's how I approach this now. First, pull the signed addendum listing every repair the seller committed to. Not the original inspection report. The actual repair addendum. That's the document that matters. Every item on that list needs a checkmark when you're done. Bring your own flashlight. The one on your phone works fine, but having a dedicated one means your hands stay free. Bring a notepad. Paper, not a phone app. Cellular service drops in basements and older neighborhoods constantly, and you don't want to lose your notes because your screen went dark. Test every single light switch. Not flip them. Actually turn them on and look at the bulb. I learned this the hard way on a 1970s ranch where the seller had pulled every ceiling fixture before painting. Twenty-three fixtures, twenty-three empty holes in the ceiling. The repair list said "repair lighting issues." That was it. "Repair" was interpreted as "nothing at all." I made the seller leave a $400 deposit until an electrician confirmed the wiring was intact and the fixtures could be reinstalled.
Run every faucet. Cold and hot. Check the water pressure at the showerhead and the kitchen sink. Pull out the under-sink cabinets and look for active leaks or fresh caulk that might be hiding old stains. Fresh caulk over a leak is one of the most common tricks I've seen, and honestly the seller probably didn't even think of it. They just covered the stain because they wanted the place to look good for the final showing.
Get the Full Details
Systems You Need to Verify
The major systems get the attention, but the small stuff is where deals die. Test the smoke detectors. Push the test button and listen. Most people just look at them and assume they work. A dead battery in a smoke detector won't show up unless you press the button. Check the water heater. Look at the age sticker. If it's over ten years old and the seller promised a "working water heater," that promise might not mean what you think it means. It could still be working tomorrow, but it could also be two months from failing. Ask for a replacement bond or credit if the unit is near end-of-life. It's worth it. Open and close every window. Sliding windows stick more than you'd expect after a long move. Carried boxes scrape against the tracks. I found three sliding windows on a split-level in Ohio that wouldn't latch because the movers had bumped the frames during egress. The seller's contractor had patched the drywall but never touched the windows. The lock mechanism was misaligned by half an inch. Every. Single. Window.
Run the HVAC. Both heating and cooling. If it's summer, the AC needs to drop the temperature by at least five degrees from the indoor reading at the thermostat. If the system isn't doing that, you have a problem. Don't accept "it was working when we left." That's not your problem to solve after closing.
Common Pitfalls That Cost Buyers Money
The biggest mistake is trusting the seller's word. If they say the roof was replaced last year, ask for the receipt. If they say the septic was pumped, ask for the service record. Verbal assurances mean nothing at this stage. Documentation is what you carry into closing. Another mistake is not checking the outside. The interior gets all the attention. But the grading, the downspouts, the condition of the deck, the state of the fence — these are all part of the property you're buying. I once saw a buyer walk through a beautiful kitchen and miss the fact that the backyard graded toward the foundation. Water was pooling against the basement wall every spring. The seller had never mentioned it. The inspection had flagged it. The repair addendum didn't mention it either because the seller argued it wasn't a "repairable" issue. It was, but by then the buyer had already waived inspection contingencies. Don't skip the garage. Check the opener. Test the remote. Look at the condition of the floor — cracks are normal, but active water damage or heaving tells you something about the foundation. Look up at the ceiling joists for any signs of previous water intrusion. Dark stains on insulation mean something leaked through the roof at some point.
What to Do When Something Is Wrong
If you find something that shouldn't be there, stop. Don't continue the walkthrough pretending you didn't see it. Take a photo. Write it down immediately. Then call your agent. Let your agent handle the communication with the seller's side. You don't need to have that conversation directly. If the issue is covered by the repair addendum and it wasn't addressed, you have leverage. The seller is required to fix it or negotiate a credit. If it's something new that happened after the inspection — a broken window, a leaking pipe — that's typically the seller's responsibility anyway, since they still own the property until closing. Sometimes the fix isn't practical. A scratched hardwood floor here and there won't be worth fighting over. But a malfunctioning garage door spring or a non-functional exhaust fan in the master bath is worth the email. These are low-cost repairs that sellers sometimes forget or hope you'll overlook. They usually do.
Final Things to Check Before You Sign
Verify the appliances that are staying. The refrigerator, the stove, the dishwasher. Make sure they're actually there. I've seen sellers take everything including the dishwasher because the addendum said "appliances to convey" without listing which ones. It was ambiguous enough that the seller's agent argued the dishwasher wasn't included. The buyer had to eat the $800 replacement cost because the contract language was vague. Confirm the garbage disposal works. Run water and turn it on. Check the trash compactor if there is one. These are expensive items to replace and easy to overlook. Do a final sweep of every closet, every cabinet, every attic space. Sellers sometimes leave behind personal items they weren't supposed to take, but more importantly they might leave behind items that should have been taken. An abandoned pool table in the garage, old paint cans in the basement, a shed full of the seller's junk. Make sure the property is actually broom-clean like the contract requires.
Take your time. This walkthrough typically takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a half depending on the size of the property. Rushing through it in twenty minutes is a recipe for missing something important. The people selling you the house have already moved out. They're not coming back. This is your last chance to walk through with the contract in hand before you own whatever condition the property is in.
